There was, believe it or not, a children's book with the word in the title. Some people look at it without any sort of distaste, and kids find it funny. I remember Walter Cronkite being quoted in USA Today using the word in an article during the 1980s. NASA had intended to send a journalist up in the space shuttle and had an application process. Cronkite had applied and said "I want to show that any old fart can do it". NASA, probably to promote the space program, had sent a Senator, Jake Garn of Utah, up in space and made plans to send a teacher and a journalist up in space to show that regular people might be able to go. Cronkite probably would have been chosen if he was healthy enough because of all his broadcasts during the space program which built to landing a man on the moon.
Of course, when the space shuttle crashed in 1986, those plans were scuttled.
However, I agree with Moddy. It has no business in a newspaper - it would offend a significant share of the population and isn't a pleasant image when you are reading the paper while eating your breakfast. The use of the word is unnecessary.
